To investigate the association between retinitis pigmentosa RP and acute angle closure during a 15-year follow-up period.

Methods

Using the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, we identified 382 RP patients based on the diagnostic code of RP International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification ICD-9-CM 362.74 made during 1996–2010, excluding subjects under age of 20 years at diagnosis or subjects undergoing lens extraction before the index date. The control group included 3820 randomly selected non-RP subjects matched with the RP patients in age, gender and the index date of diagnosis. The incidence of acute angle closure during the study period was observed based on an ICD-9-CM code of 365.22. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was used to determine the odds ratio OR of having acute angle closure in RP patients.

Results

The mean age at the diagnosis of RP was 51.1years standard deviation SD 16.7. Acute angle closure occurred in 5 RP patients 1.3% and in 15 controls 0.4%. The mean age with the acute angle closure was 53.3 years SD 8.0 in RP patients and 64.6 years SD 8.4 in controls P = 0.015. After adjusting for age, gender and comorbid disorders, RP patients had 3.64-fold 95% confidence interval CI, 1.29–10.25, P<0.001 greater odds of having acute angle closure. After stratification for gender and age, the risk of acute angle closure in RP was higher in patients under age of 60 years adjusted OR 11.84; 95% CI, 2.84–49.48 and male patients adjusted OR 19.36; 95% CI, 3.43–109.40both P = 0.001.

Conclusions

RP patients had increased risk of acute angle closure than controls. Contrary to the fact that angle closure disease is more prevalent in elderly females in general population, acute angle closure attack occurred earlier in life and the risk was higher in males among RP patients.